Division of Decimals Cheat Sheet
Before we get started.
There are a couple of ways to write out division. The first way is to write it out as a fraction like the one below. As a matter of fact, all fractions are really just division problems.
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You are used to seeing this 14 ÷ 2 which really means 2) 14
owever, this can also be written as a fraction that looks like this 14
2
Most of the time, you will see division of decimals in one of two forms.
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2.81 ÷ 1.2 but most of the time it will already be set up for you 1.2 ) 2.81
Rule number one: you have to move the decimal on the outside of the division symbol to make it a whole number.
Rule number two: how ever many times you move the decimal on the outside, you must move the decimal the same number of times on the inside of the symbol.
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In other words… 1.2 ) 2.40 You have to move the decimal once to make 1.2 into 12.
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12 ) 24.0 You have to move the decimal once to make 2.81 into 2.81
You have to make sure that the decimals move the same amount of times on both sides to be correct!!!
After that, you just divide everything out like normal.
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1.2 ) 2.40
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1. 12 ) 24.0 Decimal moves once to make 1.2 into 12 (a whole number)
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2. 12 ) 24.0 My decimal MUST go up into the answer
__2.0
3. 12 ) 24.0 I divide out everything.
-24
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